What started as a personal journey of a doctor turned patient morphed into a way to share what’s universal in dealing with cancer, in my case a nasty leukemia (CLL), a failed transplant and a successful clinical trial. The telling of my journey has become a journey to teach about CLL, related blood issues and all cancers. Please visit our new website http://cllsociety.org for the latest news and information. Smart patients get smart care™. If you want to reach me, email bkoffmanMD@gmail.com

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Tributes for Dr. Hamblin

This is copied directly from the DAILY ECHO, the local paper where Dr. Hamblin lived in Bournemouth, England.

Tributes pour in for Professor Terry Hamblin

TRIBUTES have been pouring in from all over the world for a brilliant Bournemouth doctor and cancer researcher who has died at the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch.

Worcester-born, but Hampshire-bred Professor Terry Hamblin, 68 – known to friends and colleagues as “Prof” – became an NHS consultant at the age of 30, and combined his hospital work with often world-beating research aimed at finding more effective treatments for cancers.

His achievements included carrying out Britain’s first stem cell transplant in the 1980s; and developing the first DNA cancer vaccine in the world to be trialled on patients.

He changed the way chronic lymphocytic leukaemia was managed with his discovery that it had two types, one giving patients an average of 25 years survival. A professor at Southampton University since 1987, Prof Hamblin continued his research work after retiring from the NHS in 2003.

He chaired the initial appeal to improve the cancer and blood disorders unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

He was also an honorary consultant haematologist at Kings College Hospital, London; editor in chief of the medical journal Leukaemia Research and a prolific writer with wide-ranging interests, reflected in his online blog.

The father of four attended the Lansdowne Baptist Church, where he was a deacon or elder for about 18 years and he led the Sunday School for 11 years.

In 2003, he had a road named after him in Bournemouth.

Local fundraiser Estelle Wilson said: “I am proud to have been able to call Professor Terry Hamblin a friend for over 30 years.

“As well as his professional achievements in medicine, specifically successful research in the treatment of blood cancers, Prof has been an outstanding human being, always ready to help, advise, mentor and support patients, colleagues, family or friends.

“Prof Hamblin has been a literal life-saver to thousands of local patients, having treated them firstly at Boscombe Hos-pital and later at the Royal Bournemouth.

“He initiated the Bournemouth Leukaemia Fund, which funds research at the Royal Bournemouth into all blood cancers.

“I am determined to carry on fundraising for this charity in his name and in his memory.”

Long-standing colleague Prof-essor Martin Glennie, director of cancer sciences at Southampton University, said: “Professor Hamblin was one of the founder scientists who helped establish Southampton and Bournemouth as centres of excellence for cancer research back in the early 1970s.

“He was a leader in characterising different types of lymphoid cancers, identifying new drug-targets, and pioneering the development of antibody and vaccine-based drugs.

“His research and insight were world renowned, including showing that leukaemia patients must be treated and managed individually, with some needing aggressive intervention and others thriving under a ‘wait and see’ schedule.

“Professor Hamblin was one of our brightest scientists and his in-sights and enthusiasm will be missed by all who knew him.”

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About Me

BkoffmanMD@gmail.com
A family doc and husband of 1 and father of 4 and grandfather of 3 who loves his family and his work. I live with no TV and no microwave, but wouldn't last a minute without friends, art, music, books and the beach. Hockey, good jokes and exotic travel are pretty important too. Writing, Talmud and Zen give meaning to my life. My diet is organic vegan, often raw. I hope the blog makes the load lighter and the path both safer and more fun for those who read it or are going to similar places. I want to help. I crave your comments. If you are new to the blog, check out the portrait my son Will painted (it is the first post), and my very first text post.